CALL PROCESSING FOR GROUP CONFERENCING
First Claim
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1. A method of providing call processing for group conferencing, comprising:
- associating cellular telephone numbers assigned to a predetermined group of subscriber cellular devices with a routable telephone number in a database whereby calls to the routable telephone number are routed to a gateway mobile switching center of a cellular service provider;
receiving a first call placed to the routable telephone number with the gateway mobile switching center;
accessing the database and retrieving the telephone numbers assigned to the group of cellular subscriber devices and associated with the routable telephone number;
initiating calls to the cellular telephone numbers assigned to the group of cellular subscriber devices;
initiating a ring timer;
detecting a first answer from at least one of the called cellular subscriber devices;
connecting the first call to the first answering cellular subscriber device with a conference bridge;
detecting one or more subsequent answers from at least one of the called cellular subscriber devices; and
connecting cellular subscriber devices from the group of cellular subscriber devices that answer after the first answering cellular subscriber device and before the ring timer lapses.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A group call conferencing system and method is disclosed wherein a call to a Virtual Home Phone (VHP) number is processed by a Virtual Home Phone Session Control Function (VHPSCF) to ring all family or group member mobile phones. Any family member can answer the call through a conference bridge set up by the VHPSCF and other family members can participate in the call before the call ends by connecting to the conference bridge.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of providing call processing for group conferencing, comprising:
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associating cellular telephone numbers assigned to a predetermined group of subscriber cellular devices with a routable telephone number in a database whereby calls to the routable telephone number are routed to a gateway mobile switching center of a cellular service provider; receiving a first call placed to the routable telephone number with the gateway mobile switching center; accessing the database and retrieving the telephone numbers assigned to the group of cellular subscriber devices and associated with the routable telephone number; initiating calls to the cellular telephone numbers assigned to the group of cellular subscriber devices; initiating a ring timer; detecting a first answer from at least one of the called cellular subscriber devices; connecting the first call to the first answering cellular subscriber device with a conference bridge; detecting one or more subsequent answers from at least one of the called cellular subscriber devices; and connecting cellular subscriber devices from the group of cellular subscriber devices that answer after the first answering cellular subscriber device and before the ring timer lapses. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of providing call processing for group conferencing, comprising:
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receiving a first call from a calling party telephone device to a routable telephone number associated with a gateway mobile switching center; accessing a database wherein the routable telephone number is associated with a predetermined group of cellular subscriber telephone numbers and retrieving the cellular telephone numbers in the predetermined group; initiating calls to the predetermined group of cellular subscriber telephone numbers from the gateway mobile switching center; initiating a ring timer; detecting a first answer from at least one of the called cellular subscriber devices; creating a voice path between the calling party telephone device and the first answering cellular subscriber device; and creating a voice path between the calling party telephone device and cellular subscriber devices from the predetermined group that answer after the first answering cellular subscriber device and before the ring timer lapses. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of providing call processing for group conferencing, comprising:
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associating telephone numbers assigned to a predetermined group with a routable telephone number in a database whereby calls to the routable telephone number are routed to a switching center of a service provider; receiving a first call placed to the routable telephone number with the switching center; retrieving the telephone numbers assigned to the group and associated with the routable telephone number; initiating calls to the telephone numbers assigned to the group; initiating a ring timer; detecting a first answer from at least one of the called devices; connecting the first call to the first answering device with a conference bridge; detecting one or more subsequent answers from at least one of the called devices; and connecting devices from the group of devices that answer after the first answering device and before the ring timer lapses. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of providing call processing for group conferencing, comprising:
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receiving a first call from a calling party telephone device to a routable telephone number associated with a switching center; accessing a database wherein the routable telephone number is associated with a predetermined group of telephone numbers and retrieving the telephone numbers in the predetermined group; initiating calls to the predetermined group of telephone numbers from the switching center; initiating a ring timer; detecting a first answer from at least one of the called devices; creating a voice path between the calling party telephone device and the first answering device; and creating a voice path between the calling party telephone device and devices from the predetermined group that answer after the first answering device and before the ring timer lapses. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification